Today we celebrate fathers. It's a day of remembering for those of us who have lost them. For my son, Brooks, who's the daddy of my grandsons, Baker and Parks, it's feeling the love and the huge responsibility for his exuberant two and four-year-olds. With this day of national honoring of these men, comes mixed … Continue reading Forgiving Our Fathers: Forgiving Ourselves
faith
Girls of Summer: Online Dating
Yesterday my grandson played his last T-ball game of his first season. At four-years-old, Baker has shown an amazing ability to concentrate when they're in the field, hit the coach's pitches, and run the bases tagging each one. Watching his team, I've been impressed at how skilled they are to have played for such a … Continue reading Girls of Summer: Online Dating
Armed Forces Day: A New Way to Celebrate
Yesterday was Armed Forces Day. When I was a girl, our family spent that day at Pope Air Force Base participating in the celebration. My parents were very patriotic, part of that "Greatest Generation" with Daddy an army veteran and Mama a Civil Service Worker during WWII. Being on the grounds of the base had … Continue reading Armed Forces Day: A New Way to Celebrate
Family Reunion: A Gathering of Loyalty and Love
Yesterday we had our Smith Family Reunion, Mama's family that had eight children and twenty grandchildren. We were lucky that all but one of the eight-- three daughters and five sons, lived in North Carolina and we saw them regularly when we were growing up. I have fond memories of Grandma Smith's farm house bulging … Continue reading Family Reunion: A Gathering of Loyalty and Love
The One Who Will Never Leave
On this Easter weekend, I've been in a thoughtful mood, considering what it means to be present with someone during their darkest hour. In my Christian faith, that brings me to the heart of a mother--specifically Mary, the mother of Jesus. On Good Friday, I thought of what it would be like to witness your … Continue reading The One Who Will Never Leave
Sweet Anticipation
Each morning when I arise, I get a cup of coffee--French Roast, black-- and head outside for a walk. This is the prayer that starts my day: "In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." Psalm 5:3 NIV Photo by Jonathan Petersson on … Continue reading Sweet Anticipation
Happy 300th Post!
Hard to believe but this is my 300th post for this blog site that I launched May 31, 2017. I started this after attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers' Conference where I pitched my memoir to literary agents. The prevailing wisdom was authors needed a platform to build a following of readers who would … Continue reading Happy 300th Post!
Cultivating Our Lives: From Seeds to Harvest
Today, I talked with my younger son, Ross who's thirty-five. Over the past year, I've watched his growing interest in land and eco systems, specifically the history of types of indigenous trees and plants that grew on my childhood farm, purchased by my great-grandparents in the 1800s. For the first time, Ross has planted twenty … Continue reading Cultivating Our Lives: From Seeds to Harvest
Hope: The Feathered Thing
"Hope is the thing with feathers- That perches in the soul" I wish I could claim those words as my own; but I'll give the credit to American poet, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). Those are the opening lines of her work (254) that she wrote in 1861. This is the poem in its entirety: Hope is … Continue reading Hope: The Feathered Thing
“Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
We'd met through an online dating site at the end of December. It was easy to talk with him from the very first message. We shared a love of music, activities including dancing, family, faith-- and surprisingly, words--me, primarily with writing and for him-- public speaking. We laughed easily and had a similar energy. The … Continue reading “Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
Connie Rosser Riddle 